Executive Managing Editor
“I’m aware of the challenges it takes to improve diversity at UCs,” said Varner, “but [the report] says we ‘re not making any progress.”
Although University of California’s Provost and Executive Vice-President of Academic Affairs Lawrence Pitts acknowledged that efforts to increase diversity amongst UC students and faculty were moving at a “glacial pace,” gander diversity amongst faculty is better today than it was “five or seven years ago.”
University of California Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi also stated that with more opportunities for female faculty to have access to research facilities, the more likely they will have “more opportunities to recruit them.”
According to the report presented to the Board of Regents, gender diversity has also increased within the UC undergraduate population, which is now 53 percent female.
With only eight percent of graduate students coming from Chicano/Latino backgrounds, and less than four percent African-American, Student Regent Alfredo Mireles voiced concern about why specifically graduate students and professional programs were so lacking in diversity.
Univeristy of California Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry Yang discussed how UCSB has increased its own campus diversity from 15.3 percent of under-represented minorities to 25.5 percent. According to Chancellor Yang, UCSB’s percentage of Chicano/Latino students is number one in the country, competing with other public universities in states like Texas and Arizona.
“We are three percentage points away from joining the ranks of Hispanic-serving institutions in the country,” said Yang. “Then we can receive federal sponsorship.”
However, Yang stated that UCs must have a senior person “constantly engaged in a little top-down effort.”
“Everyday, you got to mow the lawn,” said Yang.